A 51-year-old Corona woman and a 39-year-old Riverside man have been identified as suspects in a narcotics smuggling operation at the Larry Smith Correctional Facility in Banning
In November 2025, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Corrections Investigations Bureau began an investigation into members of the public working with inmates to smuggle narcotics into the Larry Smith Correctional Facility via the United States Postal Service. The investigation led to the identification of the suspect who sent narcotics via the United States Postal Service as Josie Halcon, a 51-year-old resident of Corona. The inmate to whom the narcotics were sent was identified as David Benson, a 39-year-old resident of Riverside.
On May 29, 2026, a search warrant was served in the 1900 block of Frontage Road in the City of Corona, where Halcon was taken into custody without incident. Deputies located suspected methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and evidence linking Halcon to the smuggling of narcotics into the jail. Halcon was booked on suspicion of smuggling narcotics into the jail and a parole violation. Additional charges were filed against Benson for smuggling narcotics into the jail and for conspiracy.
This investigation was part of the Riverside Sheriff’s Office’s ongoing mission to prevent narcotics from entering its correctional facilities. “The diligence of our deputies during searches, implementation of ‘Jailhouse Mail,’ and the nonintrusive sensor and scanning device known as the “OD Security Soter RS,” and comprehensive criminal investigations such as this are among several measures the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office has taken to combat the supply of narcotics into our jail system,” the department said. “Inmate education is a priority within our jails, and inmates are furnished with educational material and classes about the dangers of narcotics, with an emphasis on fentanyl, provided by the Detention Health Services Division of the Riverside University Health System.”
This is an ongoing investigation. Anyone with additional information related to this investigation is asked to contact Investigator Franklin Enochs at 951–955–7076 or Correctional Deputy Leo Lopez at 951-922-7326.
